Terrible Things
by fairysdarkestnight
Summary: After Nezumi returns, he and Shion are finally together. But when Shion starts staying out late and keeping secrets from Nezumi, their happy life begins to fall apart.


Inukashi looked down at the child in front of her and heaved a sigh. "I think it's time you asked your dad about your papa. It's something you should know."

The eight year old boy nodded and hugged one of the dogs close to him. "I think I should go home. Dad's gonna be worried about me."

Ruffling his hair, Inukashi let a sad smile cross her face. "Say hi to him for me, and make sure he comes with you next time."

He nodded and headed towards the outskirts of the West Block. "I hope he won't be too upset when he learns what happened to him."

The boy sat on his father's lap as the young man sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He hadn't wanted his son to ask these questions until he was older – much older – but there was no way to keep his innocence intact. Even though the wall had fallen, the West Block still tended to harbor some of the more unsavory characters. But it was home, and that's all that mattered to the man.

"So you want to hear about your papa?"

The boy nodded his head excitedly. "I want to hear aaaaallllll about it."

With such an adorable, happy smile, the man couldn't deny his son anything. "It all started when the wall fell…"

* * *

Shion and Nezumi stood on the edge of what used to be the Correctional Facility, looking out at the crumbled remains of the wall. Instinctively, their hands met and their fingers entwined as tired smiles crossed their faces. Despite everything, they'd both survived and No. 6 as they knew it was gone.

As the sun began to set, casting orange light over the dusty land, Nezumi turned to the young man who had – despite his best efforts – forced him to fall for him. He was too pure, too innocent despite what he'd just endured. He couldn't corrupt him further.

"Shion."

"Hm?" The boy hadn't looked up at him, choosing to watch as light streaked across the sky.

Leaning over quickly, Nezumi gave Shion a peck on the lips before turning and walking away from No. 6.

 _You'll be okay. You have to be._

"Wait!"

He refused to look at the boy who had become his whole life, but stopped so he could at least say what he needed to. "That… that wasn't a goodbye kiss… was it?"

The part of him that wanted to run, run so far away from the boy who had wormed his way into his heart and left no part of it touch, urged him to say nothing and keep walking.

But he couldn't do that.

Not to Shion.

"It was a promise kiss."

 _One year later_

The lights in the dressing room were far too bright for his tastes. Their white color both blinded and terrified him, causing him to remember the boy he'd left behind for his own good. Besides, his makeup was never as good when he had to put it on under fluorescent lights.

A couple of scratching sounds on the wood floor snapped Nezumi from his thoughts. Looking down, He saw a familiar mechanical rat and held out his hand so the little one could clamber up his arm.

"Tsukiyo? But, you stayed behind with Shion." A rock seemed to settle at the bottom of his stomach as he realized that there was only one reason the traitor rat would return to him.

"SHION!"

Without another thought, Nezumi yanked of his Eve wig and stripped out of the costume before taking off from the theater to the train station.

 _I never should have left him. Stupid, stupid Nezumi._

He quickly paid for a ticket back to No. 6 and settled into his seat, nervous energy flowing through his veins. He didn't know what was wrong, but he knew it was nothing good.

 _That boy is more trouble than he's worth. I left so that he would be safe, free from the burden of me._

 _No. That's not right. If I'm going back, I should be honest with myself._

 _I left because I love him._

It felt good to admit it to himself, even if the pain of thinking of Shion left a bitter taste in his mouth. It had been too long since he'd let his thoughts wander to the white haired boy, and that was usually when he was nearly asleep.

Heaving a sigh, Nezumi drew his super fiber cloth over his nose, wishing he was as calm on the inside as he appeared. There was something terribly wrong, but there was no way for him to know. It was killing him inside.

But at the same time, there was a sense of relief.

He was going home to Shion.

Upon reaching the station of No. 6, Nezumi jumped off the train and quickly made his way through the crowds, following the guidance of Tsukiyo, who had taken up residence on the Top of Nezumi's head.

"No. You're wrong. There's no way he's living _here_ of all places."

Tsukiyo wacked him in the nose with his tail, as if to tell him to hurry up and open the door to his room in the West Block. Fishing his keys from his pocket – it was a good thing habit made him grab them from his dressing room – Nezumi unlocked a door he thought he'd never open again.

He was almost knocked to the ground from the force of Shion's hug. "Nezumi! You came back. I knew you would. They all said I was a fool for waiting – Inukashi especially – but I told them you wouldn't leave forever!"

What. The. Hell.

The little brat was perfectly fine! Nezumi glared at Tsukiyo, who, along with Cravat and Hamlet, had taken up residence on one the many bookshelves. There was no way that someone who had this much energy at seeing _him_ of all people had anything wrong with them.

Nezumi allowed a frustrated sigh to escape his lips – he had, after all, left right before a big performance. Thinking it had something to do with him, Shion jumped away from the taller boy. "I'm so sorry Nezumi. I just… I haven't seen you in so long and I… I…"

Tears welled up, but before they could fall, a loud screech followed by obnoxious crying sounded through the small room. Shion turned to the far wall and dashed between the bookcases, returning quickly with a small child in his arms.

"You picked up a stray?! You can barely feed yourself, much less take care of someone else. _Especially_ here in the West Block. What the hell were you thinking?"

Shion bounced the baby in his arms, quietly shushing the thing. "Things have changed since you left. I'm not the same person I was before. Besides, he needed a home. I was the one who took him from his mother anyway."

"What, so you're a child thief now? I never pegged you as the type. Thought you'd leave that to the leaders of this magnificent town." Nezumi's usual sneer was in place as he spoke of No. 6.

When he spoke again, Shion's voice was much softer than before. "He's the baby I sent with Inukashi's dog."

 _Oh._

"But I don't want to fight, Nezumi. I don't care if you think it's irresponsible of me to take care of this child or not. He needed a home, and I," he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I needed someone who I could count on to be there."

It hurt him to hear those words. He knew leaving Shion behind was painful for him, but much like everything else Shion-related, Nezumi had refused to think about it.

"I'm here now."

Nezumi didn't know what made him say those words, but he was rewarded as Shion smiled up at him. "I know. And you can't imagine how happy I am to see you. I just finished making some soup. Come sit down and have some with me."

Quickly putting the child back behind the books – there _had_ to be some bedding back there or something – Shion returned and doled out two bowls of soup, making sure to add plenty of salt to the one he gave to Nezumi.

The conversation between them was much as it always was – Shion asked a million questions Nezumi didn't want to answer before eventually giving up and talking about his life in No. 6 and his job as a member of the reconstruction committee. But there was one question Shion didn't ask, and Nezumi was beyond grateful, for he had no idea how to sidestep the question without giving anything away.

 _Why did you come back?_

They stayed up far too late, sitting on the couch together as Nezumi read aloud. Neither of them quite knew how they got to that point, but neither of them wanted to move. Eventually though, Shion let out a loud yawn, causing Nezumi to chuckle and ruffle his hair. "Come on, let's get to bed. It's late and I'm sure you have to get up early."

Shion shook his head vigorously and pressed himself into Nezumi's side. "No. I'm still awa–" His statement was interrupted by an ill-timed yawn, which made the other boy's lips to curl into a smirk.

"It seems like it's past His Highness's bedtime."

"No. I'm fine, Nezumi. I haven't read Macbeth in so long, and I was really enjoying hearing your voice again." Shion's hand reached up to grasp Nezumi's sleeve, his eyes fluttering as he tried to fight sleep. "And I'm afraid that if I go to sleep, I'll wake up and you'll be gone. I couldn't handle that again. It was hard enough the first time."

The smirk dropped, Nezumi's face forming a look of surprise, which was quickly followed by a warm smile. Gently untangling Shion's death grip, he entwined their fingers and pulled the white-haired boy to his feet. "It's alright. I won't leave you again."

That night, the two boys slept better than they had in over a year.

The two of them fell back into the rhythm from before the wall fell. Despite the addition of a screaming baby on occasion, (Nezumi would never be able to repay Shion's mother for the kindness of babysitting) Nezumi felt as if they'd gone back in time.

He was happy.

The thought crossed his mind as he stirred the soup he'd put together for dinner, but for the first time he didn't shy away from it. He was finally home.

When he handed Shion his bowl of soup, Nezumi gave him a light kiss on his cheek before sitting down beside him.

"What was that for?"

Nezumi shook his head and pressed his lips to Shion's. "Stay here, with me."

His red eyes grew wide before his lips broke out into smile and he threw his arms around Nezumi's neck. Hot soup slid down his neck, but he couldn't find it in himself to care as he pulled the boy to him, pressing their lips together once more.

"I love you, Nezumi."

It was the happiest moment in his life, and for once he didn't care that tears were running down his face as his arms tightened around Shion.

"You're late."

Shion sighed as he hung up his coat and placed his briefcase beside the piano. "I'm sorry Nezumi. I just got caught up at work. There have been some problems with the relocation of some of the West Block residents while we rebuild the older section."

There was no reply from the other boy, who merely turned the small stove on to reheat the soup he'd made for the two of them. There was no need to tell Shion that he'd almost run out of the room and into the heart of No. 6 – twice – out of worry for him. It would only serve to inflate the boy's ego.

Instead, he added far too much salt – even for him – and served Shion slightly cold soup. Based on the grimace and the fact that he said nothing about the taste, he knew that Nezumi was upset with him. But neither boy said anything, and if Nezumi sat a little closer while they read together on the couch, Shion didn't acknowledge it out loud.

* * *

"That was the first time since we reunited that we fought, even if words weren't actually exchange. But that was also the night we knew something had changed between us. It was a big moment for us, even if we didn't know it at the time." The man let out a short laugh and shook his head. "I mean, really. It was something as small as coming home a little late. But it was the beginning of the end."

The boy looked up at his dad and tugged slightly on his hair to get his attention again. With a slight smile, the man readjusted the boy and wrapped his arms around him more securely. "I know son. I know."

* * *

That was the first time Shion returned home late, but it wasn't last. Over the few months, his returns got later and later until there were some nights when Nezumi had been asleep for hours before he finally crawled into bed next to him.

Less than six months had passed since his return, but Nezumi was already regretting it. It was too stressful to sit at home, taking care of a child that wasn't even his, waiting for someone who wouldn't show up. Even on nights he had performances at the theater, Nezumi still beat Shion home.

"This was why I left in the first place. He's done nothing but tie me down to this infernal place, and he isn't even here most the time!" Nezumi paced back and forth across the small room with only the rats as an audience.

"I can't eat and I barely get any sleep because of worry for him. It wouldn't be so bad though if I knew what he actually did for a living!" Nezumi knew Shion was on the reconstruction committee, but he'd never been to the office. He'd refused every time Shion offered to take him until the idiot finally stopped asking. And Nezumi certainly didn't want to hear about the city that destroyed his life, choosing to cut Shion off with an offer to read from one of the many books he owned.

He decided to change that.

Sneaking into the city wasn't hard – since the wall had fallen, movement between the West District and No. 6 was unrestricted – but Nezumi still took precautions so he wouldn't be recognized.

He knew that Shion had helped change things, so the likelihood of being arrested or shot on sight was fairly low. But a lifetime of fearing and hating the city wasn't going to go away overnight.

 _And here I am, heading into the heart of that infernal city._

With a sigh, he pulled his super fiber cloth up to his face, burying his nose in the soft fabric. He asked himself once again why he was doing this, but needing no other answer besides the longing in his heart.

 _I can't believe that I actually miss that airheaded brat._

Scaling the building was easier than he expected, thanks to the uneven bricks that the building was made of, and Nezumi knew exactly which window belonged to Shion. He really had to fix that habit of leaving the window unlocked (though it was certainly a step up from being completely open).

The office was dark and Shion's chair was cold, meaning he had left some time ago. _Where is he? I came here expecting to find him dead asleep on his desk or something idiotic like that._

Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Nezumi opened the desk drawer and started rifling through the stacks of files, wanting to find a hint as to where he was. But all he found were dry plans regarding the reconstruction of the West Block and Lost Town.

With a sigh, Nezumi closed the drawer and headed back to the window. He didn't know what kind of security the building had – surely not everyone was as trusting as the airhead – and the window was still conveniently located in front of him.

Nezumi sat straddling the window sill for a moment, allowing the night air to calm his anxiety some. There were other places he could be surely, such as Karan's bakery or Rikiga's place. Maybe he'd gotten off early and decided to pay them a visit. But with those thoughts came jealousy. He'd barely seen him, and any night Shion got off work at a somewhat reasonable time should be spent with him.

Barely holding back the resentment he felt towards the boy's actions, Nezumi swung his other leg over the sill and started to climb down the side of the building. His fingers ached from the cold air as they clung onto the edges of the red bricks. He had nearly reached the bottom when he saw a flash of white hair.

 _Where is he coming from?_

As far as he knew, there was nothing in that direction that would draw Shion to the downtown area that late at night. Just a grocery store – Nezumi had gone just the day before – and a residential area. Everything else was closed.

"Shion!" A woman's voice called out, causing both of them to flinch. The owner of the voice came running up, one of Shion's work coats in her hands. Nezumi couldn't hear their conversation from where he was at, but saw the woman hand him his jacket and lean in close. Disgusted, Nezumi turned his head away and dropped the last few feet to the ground.

 _Fine. If he's going to leave me to keep house and take care of that screaming child while he goes out a plays around with his girlfriend, then he clearly doesn't need me._

Nezumi didn't return home that night, nor the next, and not the one after that either.

It was Shion's day off, and part of Nezumi felt bad that he wasn't at home to wake up next to Shion. Normally, the two of them would lie in bed for hours, cuddling and reading and just enjoying being together after the craziness of the week. But it had been almost a week since he'd seen Shion and the girl together, and two weeks since he'd even talked to him. With as late as Shion got home, all Nezumi could manage was a mumbled "Welcome home" before he fell back asleep.

The last few nights Nezumi had paid the fee to stay at Inukashi's hotel. In other words, he picked up the child from Karan and let Inukashi have a turn while he slept in a corner. Inukashi didn't ask – her dogs had probably already told her that things between him and Shion weren't well – and he didn't give a reason for not going home.

"You should go home. Not that I don't love having the kid here, but I'm sure Shion wants to know where you are."

Nezumi ignored Inukashi's words as he stretched his legs out and laid his head on his arms.

"He's come around asking for you, you know. Seemed pretty desperate to find you."

Still no answer.

"I told him you were staying here."

Nezumi was halfway to the door before Inukashi started chuckling.

"If you're that desperate to stay away from him you should find a place he doesn't know about. But he left already. Said he needed to get to work. He seemed pretty relieved that you were here though."

"Stay out of our business. It doesn't concern you."

Inukashi lifted a shoulder in a careless shrug. "No matter to me. But in my opinion, you're lucky that airhead even gives you the time of day."

Grey eyes flashed in anger, but all Nezumi did was turn his back and walk out of the hotel. "Keep the child. I'm sure he'll be back for it later."

Nezumi wandered the town for hours, sometimes even crossing into Lost Town without noticing. As the sun started to set, the smell of fresh bread lured him to the front of Karan's bakery.

 _Well, it's not like he doesn't know where I was staying_.

A clear bell rang out as he opened the door and entered the shop. "Welco– Nezumi! It's been so long!" Karan's bright voice called out his name as she rushed over to give him a much-needed hug. Normally he wouldn't have let anyone near him, but this was Shion's mother. And he needed the contact. A full week without Shion beside him – no matter for how short a time it was – had drained him.

"Hi, Karan," he said as he wrapped his arms around the older woman. "Sorry I haven't been around lately."

She released her hold on him and went to grab some pastries from one of her pans. "Here. Fresh out of the oven. I'll go pour us some tea."

As nice as it felt to have someone dote on him, Nezumi knew he'd made a mistake when he'd entered the shop. Karan was too much like Shion, and the longer he stayed here, the more his resolve to not return home would crumble.

But when she smiled in that way that reminded him of Shion, he had no choice but to sit down and drink the tea.

"You don't look too well. Is everything all right? You're not sick, are you?"

 _Like mother, like son._

"I'm alright. I just haven't been sleeping too well lately, that's all."

There was silence between them, interrupted only by the clinking of china as Karan placed her cup on its saucer.

"You can't sleep because of Shion?"

Nezumi didn't want to admit it, but his silence was enough of a confirmation.

"He misses you, you know. He's only stopped by a few times in the last month or so, but he's really struggling right now. I'm not sure what happened between you two, and I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through, but he needs you. Almost as much as you need him."

Tipping his teacup back, Nezumi drained the last bit of the warm liquid before standing. "Thank you for the tea and pastries, but I have a performance tonight and need to get going."

The performance had been a lie; Nezumi just couldn't stand to be in the room that reminded him so much of what he was missing by staying away from Shion. He continued his walk, but this time his feet carried him further into the city, directly to City Hall.

Looking up at the tall brick building he'd climbed just a week before, Nezumi cursed his weakness. Without thinking about it too much, he entered the building and walked up to the receptionist's desk.

"Excuse me. Is Shion in?"

"Oh, you must be Nezumi. Shion told us about you. I'm sorry, but he didn't come in today. Didn't you know that?"

 _Oh, yeah. It was his day off today. Can't believe I forgot that while talking to Karan._

Without answering the woman, Nezumi turned on his heel and stalked out of the building, nearly running into someone about to walk through the doors.

"Oh, excuse me. I'm so sorry." The woman bowed quickly and went around him. It took a moment, since she was wearing a nurse's uniform and her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, but Nezumi recognized her as the woman with Shion.

Just as he had, she walked up to the receptionist and asked for Shion. "I have some files I need to give him."

"I'm sorry, but he didn't come into the office today. But if it's time sensitive, his roommate just left. You can probably still catch him. His name's Nezumi."

The woman bowed and quickly hurried towards the exit, not realizing that Nezumi was right there. As she passed him, he grabbed her arm, pulling her to a halt. "What do you want with Shion?"

Most women would have jumped in fear, or at least been startled, but she just smiled in relief as she handed Nezumi a manila folder. "Mr. Shion requested a copy of his medical records from the hospital I work at, but didn't give me a number or house address. I guess it's pretty lucky I ran into you here. Would you mind passing them along for me? It would be much appreciated."

After the words hospital, Nezumi had stopped listening. He let go of the woman's arm and turned towards the West Block, finally ready to demand some answers from Shion.

Standing outside his place in West Block, Nezumi wasn't sure whether he should knock or just open the door.

 _What the hell, Nezumi. It's only been a week and you've already given up your spot?_

Without letting himself think about it, Nezumi opened the door, fully expecting to be tackled by a white haired boy, much like the last time he'd returned home after a long absence. But he got no such welcome.

"Shion? Are you home?"

A slight cough answered him. "Yeah, I'm here." Shion's voice was weak and muffled, coming from under a pile of blankets on the bed. Nezumi quickly tossed off his jacket and knelt beside the bed.

"Shion, you're sick? What happened? Did you leave your window open while you worked late again?" Nezumi felt the boy's forehead, noting the high temperature.

"No, I'm fine. I just caught a little cold, that's all."

Nezumi stood and started collecting ingredients for a stew, but ran out of options fairly quickly. "Shion, how long has it been since you went grocery shopping?" Some grumbling came out from under the covers. "I can't hear you. You'll have to speak up a little louder if you want my attention."

Shion pushed his head up. "I haven't gone grocery shopping. I haven't had the time."

Well, at least the vegetables weren't _that_ old. They'd had much worse when the wall was still up. Nezumi started heating the pot, stirring the thin soup as he faced away from Shion. Thin arms wrapped around his waist, scaring him with how weak they were.

"I thought you'd left again, Nezumi. For good this time. I thought you'd finally realized that I wasn't good enough for you."

Dropping the spoon, Nezumi turned around and grasped Shion's face between his hands. "Don't you ever think that sort of thing again. I love you Shion. I won't leave you again." Closing his eyes, Nezumi dropped his head to lean against his forehead. "I love you," he mumbled brokenly. As Shion pressed his lips against Nezumi's, both forgot about everything around them, basking in the words Nezumi had confessed for the first time.

The manila folder laid forgotten by the door.

* * *

"I should have known that night that something was wrong, but it had been so long since we'd really seen each other that I didn't really care. All that mattered that night was that we were together."

"Dad, did you ever regret what happened?"

The man shook his head. "No, I didn't. I lived in the moment then and didn't really think much of the future. As long as we were together, that's all I cared about. I was naïve; I knew that even them. But I didn't care."

* * *

Nezumi laid curled up beside his white-haired lover, a smile on his face as he ran his fingers through the soft strands. He'd forgotten that he was sick until he'd collapsed from his fever, completely exhausted. But after a good night's rest, Shion would probably be much better.

He hoped.

A loud fit of coughing erupted beside him. Shion sat up, trying to take in bits of air in between coughs, but with little success. As it went on, Nezumi worried more and more that it wasn't just a cold, that something was seriously wrong with him.

Eventually, the coughing stopped long enough for Shion to take in wheezing gasps, and he collapsed against Nezumi's chest. And although Shion took the effort to hide his palms from Nezumi, he could see the blood that covered his hands. A sharp spike of fear went through him, but he refused to let Shion know that he'd seen the red that painted his skin. Laying him down gently on the bed, Nezumi pulled the covers up to his shoulders and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "I'll make breakfast. What do you want?"

Shion struggled to sit up. "I don't have time for breakfast. I'm sorry. But I'm late enough for work as it is." He started coughing once again, and Nezumi filled a cup with water, holding him up as he drank it.

"You're not going into work today. I don't care if I have to strap you to the bed. You're not getting up today. Now let me take care of you, okay?"

He nodded slightly and let Nezumi guide him back to the pillows. "Thank you."

"Idiot."

When he heard the light snores coming from Shion, Nezumi gave a sigh of relief. It was then that he remembered the folder that was sent home with him last night. He covered the short distance in a moment and reached for the medical records.

 _Well, it's not like they told me I couldn't read it._

Without thinking too hard about the guilty feeling pooling at the bottom of his stomach, Nezumi opened the folder and pulled out a small stack of papers.

The first few pages were what he'd expected – name, date of birth, known allergens. That sort of thing. As he flipped through, all the minor ailments he'd been afflicted with while he was still a Chronos flashed by him. Those took up about three quarters of the file. There was less from the time he was in Lost Town – he hadn't known that Shion had broken his arm when he was thirteen – but it was the final bit that interested him.

What he saw nearly made him drop the papers. As it was, Nezumi had to reseal the folder, as if he hoped that he could stop the words from being true.

 _No survivors._

 _First patient of his kind._

 _Not responding to treatment._

 _Three months to live._

Nezumi wanted to throw open the door and run far enough away that the words held no meaning. He wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. But worst of all, he wanted to destroy the city that had done this to the boy he loved.

But they'd already done that.

Nezumi felt powerless. After everything they'd been through, all the fighting and pain they suffered, Shion was going to be ripped away from him. Everything he'd done had been for nothing.

"Nezumi?" Shion's soft voice, hoarse from the coughing, reached out to him. "Are you still here?"

He quickly made his way to Shion's side, dropping to his knees beside the boy he loved. "Of course I am. I'll never, ever leave you again. I swear it."

Shion smiled slightly and lifted his head up to seal the promise with a kiss.

 _White his shroud as the mountain snow_

 _Larded all with sweet flowers,_

 _Which bewept to the ground did not go_

 _With true-love showers._

 _Ophelia, I suddenly understand your madness so much more now._

Over the next few days, Shion slowly recovered until he was able to sit up and swallow his soup without Nezumi's help.

"Hey, Nezumi?"

"Hm?"

"I want to go out tonight."

Nezumi put down the book in his hands and looked at Shion, who rested on his side and read over Nezumi's shoulder. "Are you feeling up to it?" Had it merely been a regular illness, Nezumi would have given him a flat out no, but with this… he didn't know exactly what was going on with Shion – he was no doctor – but he knew he didn't have much time.

Shion nodded. "I want to look at the stars with you."

Instead of his trademark smirk, Nezumi let a small smile cross his face as he reached up and twirled his fingers in Shion's hair. "I'll take you wherever you want."

Although he could sit up just fine, Shion rested heavily on Nezumi as they headed outside. The stars were out, and not a cloud was in sight, though there was enough of a breeze to make Shion shiver. Noticing this, Nezumi led him to a clear patch of ground where he laid him down and curled his body around Shion's frail frame.

"Are you warm enough?"

Shion smiled at him, his face only centimeters from Nezumi's. "It's perfect Nezumi. Thank you."

 _Idiot. You shouldn't look so happy just because of me._

He reached up to push a lock of dark hair behind Nezumi's ear. "I have something to tell you."

 _No. No. Anything but that. If you tell me, it'll become our reality, and I can't face that yet._

"Shion, let me go first." He nodded at him to continue. "Marry me."

He said nothing at first, and Nezumi cursed himself for asking when he knew Shion didn't have long to live. Then, a wide smile bloomed across his face. "Of course I will, Nezumi. Nothing could make me happier."

Nezumi felt a smile cross his own face as he tilted his face towards Shion's and pulled his lips into a kiss. "I love you. And I swear, nothing will ever separate us again."

In all their happiness, Nezumi never dared ask Shion what he was going to say.

Their days passed by one by one, and although they were as happy as they could be, there was a countdown in the back of Nezumi's mind that reminded him that his happiness had a time limit.

Every day Shion came home with a smile on his face, and every day Nezumi died a little more inside, knowing that he was powerless to stop what was coming. And yet, every day, Nezumi gave him a smile in return.

Then, one night, Shion didn't come home at all.

Nezumi waited and waited, naively believing that Shion was merely working late. But as the hours passed and the soup he'd made for dinner cooled and congealed, Nezumi knew something was wrong.

Nervous energy welled up inside him, and Nezumi started pacing back and forth in front of the door, anxious thoughts running through his head. But when he heard the kid start screaming and crying, Nezumi knew that even the stray was able to feel that something was wrong.

With a sigh, he walked into to the back of the room where Shion had set up a makeshift nursery. Lifting the child out of his crib, Nezumi started singing to calm him down.

" _Walk on wandering souls for your respite we pray._

 _Let our humble song clear your hearts of dismay._

 _Rekindle the flame in your souls and set you free._

 _So walk on and become the light that guides the way."_

The child's eyes drifted shut and Nezumi smiled slightly, knowing that he would have to leave the boy with Karan, despite how late it was. Grabbing a jacket of the coat rack, Nezumi opened the door and walked into No. 6.

To say that Karan had been surprised to see him was an understatement, but she understood why Nezumi knocked on her door in the early hours of the morning, and she seemed almost as worried as Nezumi was when he told her that Shion hadn't come home. And based on her reaction, Nezumi wasn't the only person Shion had neglected to inform of his illness.

Unlike before, he had a fairly good idea where Shion was. Upon entering the clinic that woman worked at, Nezumi asked for Shion's room and was led there straight away, despite the lateness of the hour.

His heart nearly stopped at the sight of the boy he loved.

There were tubes and needles and sensors everywhere, as well as an oxygen mask placed over Shion's nose and mouth. His skin was paler than it normally was, almost the color of his hair, and even his scar seemed to be more pink than red.

Nezumi hurried to his side and dropped to his knees, choking sobs rising to the surface. "No, Shion, please. I can't lose you too. Not after everything we've been through. I can't lose you like this."

A cool, pale hand reached over and ran its fingers through Nezumi's hair. "I'll be okay, I promise. I won't leave you." His voice was muffled due to the oxygen mask, but Nezumi shuddered in relief at hearing it anyway. Sleepy red eyes opened to meet silver, and, for a moment, time seemed to stop. "But, if something does happen to me, would you promise me one thing?"

Nezumi nodded frantically. "Of course, Shion, anything. But in return, you have to promise me that you'll fight to live. For me. Please, Shion."

He nodded weakly. "Take care of him. He's our son. The child we're raising together." The hand in his hair lost its strength and dropped to the side. "I love you, Nezumi. Thank you for coming, for finding me." Shion chuckled lightly. "You always know where to look, don't you?"

Nodding, Nezumi let a sad smile cross his face. "And I'll never stop looking."

As Nezumi reached for Shion's hand and entwined their fingers, the boy's eyes slid closed as he breathing weakened until Nezumi could barely see the rise and fall of his chest. He stood and leaned down to press a soft kiss to his forehead. "Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

A nurse entered the room and started to wheel Shion out and into the hallway. Keeping their fingers entwined until the last possible moment, Nezumi said goodbye to the only person he'd every truly loved.

* * *

"Why did you make it sound like I died?"

The man rolled his eyes at the interruption as the boy jumped off his father's knee and ran to the white-haired figure who'd just returned home from work. "Papa! You're home!"

"Yes, yes, I am. Did you enjoy the story?"

The boy nodded his head vigorously. "But what happened next? I don't think Dad was going to tell me."

Shion laughed and ruffled the boy's hair. "No he, probably wouldn't. So, Nezumi, care to tell him what was going on?"

"No. It's your fault and you know it."

Shion walked over to the chair Nezumi was sitting in and gave him an 'I'm home' kiss. His lips were curled in amusement, however, and Nezumi didn't appreciate that.

"It's not my fault you didn't tell me you were letting those quack doctors experiment on you. Nor that it was making you sick. That's all on you."

Shion rolled his eyes. "I was fine. It was mostly just blood samples anyway. And you know that you would have flipped out if I told you where I was going. You would have barred the door and refused to let me leave the house."

"Damn right I would have! You had no business trying to help that man. Just because those doctors thought it was poison from those blasted wasps didn't mean that they had to go and make you sick too."

The boy just stood there, watching his parents argue, knowing that neither was too serious about the ages-old argument. There was a knock on the door that both the adults ignored, so the boy answered it himself.

Inukashi stood on the doorstep, a wide grin on her face. "I came by to see if you got the answers you wanted."

The boy shrugged. "Not really. Dad didn't actually tell me why all the teachers at school were talking about Papa. He just told me the story of their life after the wall fell."

Laughter erupted from Inukashi, which was quickly followed by, "Shut up and go home," from Nezumi. This made her laugh even harder as she knelt down to the boy's level.

"You know, it was because of your Papa that wall came down in the first place."

The boy's eyes widened. "Really? So that's why…"

Hands covered his ears as he was gently forced back inside the house. "Inukashi, stop filling our boy's head with nonsense and go home. I'm sure at least one of your mutts is whining for you."

"Oh, shut up and go back to your little family. I just wanted to make sure the runt was okay. You and Shion can get into some pretty heated arguments. Especially over what happened a couple years ago."

Nezumi rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, a silver ring glinting in the sun. "Yeah, yeah. Just drop it already." With that not so subtle dismissal, Inukashi turned away, chuckling as she headed home.

"That family. Messing with them never gets old."

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own No. 6, nor do I own FFT0, which is where the song Nezumi songs I from, or, for that matter, _Hamlet._


End file.
